Before I Lose Him - The Perfect Edition
by Ukyou
Summary: The Cosmos. Syaoran is suddenly trapped within this realm, a realm made up of his own dreams and memories. Sakura decides to look for him in this strange world, despite the concequences. Her journey is a race to find him, before he disappears forever.
1. Chapter One - Li's Dream - Introduction

**     Before I Lose Him - The Perfect Edition**

         By Ukyou

    http://www.clownet.com

    http://www.ukyou.cjb.net

   Author's note: As usual with my fics, Sakura and Syaoran are at least 20 in this fic. 

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** Chapter One - Li's Dream - Introduction**

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_Sometimes, I just sit and wonder _

_How life would be _

_Without you…_

_   ---_

          I stood in a large field of small blooming cherry blossoms. I could see Sakura, my ying fa, on the other side, and she seemed to wave at me. I ran to her….as fast as I could…but I seemed to be going nowhere…

          She still was waving at me, though, and the petals dropped down faster than ever. I gave up running and walked to her. Then, I was getting closer to her, each step coming down a foot in front of the other. 

          The petals were almost blinding as I came closer to Sakura. It was blinding to the point in which I couldn't see her anymore. When they finally disappeared, another girl appeared in her place. 

_       Meiling…_

    '…but…' I thought to myself. '…Meiling's been dead….for six years…'

        Meiling then waved to me, and said hello. I ran to her, and she finally came into my arms. 

'Syaoran…its been a long time.' She said to me. I scratched the back of my neck, and just could give out a short 'yea'.

        Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw that Meiling's eyes were…green. When I went in closer to examine it, I felt a sudden jolt of pain in my stomach and I fell. She just looked down at me, and put her hand on the top of my head. After what seemed seconds…I felt something strange enter me…and I….felt……drowsy…

         _~to be continued_


	2. Chapter Two - Sakura's Story ~

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**Chapter Two - Sakura's Story- **

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_The more I saw you_

_how I admired your eyes_

_but quite frankly, _

_the very last time_

---

Li woke me up abruptly in the middle of the night, waking me when I was in the other room. He gave out a loud yell, as if something unhuman had been seen in his dreams. I ran over to him, and saw him playing the small music box near his bed. He stared at it, tears falling from his eyes. I came close to him, but he didn't seem to notice. He continued crying, listening to the music box. 

I put my hand on his head, and suddenly, he just stared at me. He gave me the blank look that would just strike fear into your heart. Furthurmore…his eyes glowed with a strange essence of green. I backed away, as he stood up facing me.

'You are the cardcaptor.' He said to me in a blank tone. 'You stand in my way.'

I blinked and watched, as a greenish aura came over him. He picked up his old Chronos sword from the mantle on top of his desk, and held it in front of me. 

'Li…what are you doing?' I asked him, as he started straight into my soul. His gaze, inhuman, his face, undescribable. 

It came with no response, however, as he pushed me out of the way and ran past me, still holding the Chronos sword. I heard the shatter of glass from the living room, and a gust of wind blow in. I ran after him, but he was gone…

He had broken the glass door in the back…and just run away. I walked out the glass door, the night sky glimmering down on the ground I stood upon. I walked back inside, but I stopped suddenly. 

'Kinomoto Sakura…' something said in the distance. 'Kinomoto Sakura…'

I turned around to see a man crouching down, with his hands over his face. 'Kinomoto Sakura…help me….'

I tried to see who he was, but his hands remained in the way. 

In a brilliant flash of light, however, I could see cherry blossom petals just fall from the ceiling. The man glowed a bright white, and just disappeared. 

'Kinomoto Sakura….help me…'

…and with that, he was gone. All that remained was a small whitish flower on the ground where he sat. I walked closer to the flower, it giving me a strange feeling in my head. Crouching down, I picked it up, and a huge blast of wind shot upwards from my hands. Everything turned white, as I noticed that I wasn't in my room anymore. 

It was completely white in the room. Hanging from the ceiling, lights of so many varieties shone down upon me. I never gave off a single shadow however…maybe from the many lights on the ceiling. 

'SYAORAN!' I yelled as loud as I could. 'SYAORAN!! WHERE ARE YOU?!'

My voice echoed throughout the room, and came with no answer. I felt a tap on my shoulder soon afterwords, and I turned around to see a man standing in front of me. He wore all white as well, making him blend clearly with the rest of the room. 

'Sakura' he told me. 'Welcome to the Cosmos'

'Cosmos?!' I said back, yelling at him, confused and worried. 

'Let me introduce myself' he said to me in a calm tone, acting as if I didn't say anything. 'My name is Kenji'

'I don't care WHO you are, where the hell is SYAORAN!?' I yelled again, tears forming in my eyes. He seemed to not care, instead he kept talking.

'You mean when.' Kenji said back to me. 'Syaoran is now in a much better place…one that his mind has craved for. This place can also be that for you as well, as long as you allow it to be.'

I turned away from him, as he grabbed my shoulder and still spoke.

'Fate has decided for this to happen. There is nothing more you can do about it' he simply said. Then, in a blinding flash of light, he disappeared. In his place lay the music box in which Syaoran was playing. I picked it up, and opened it, the box playing a sweet tune that could only make me cry harder. I went down on my knees, and just listened, the box whispering tunes I had cherished with Li. Songs that defined…us…

Soon after, a door appeared in the center of the room. It just stood there, as if I _had to open it. So I did, I put my hand on the knob and turned it, slowly at first and then opening the door. On the other side, I could see a small house. It was snowing._

I walked through the door, and found myself in front of that house, with the snow falling on my head. Steam rose steadily from the chimney, and I knocked on the door. There was no answer.

So, I walked onto the deck and sat on a chair and thought to myself. _Where was I?_

Quickly after that, I heard a voice echo in the air.

_'…and when I was five, I took the sled to a hill high in the mountains. It was cold, but all Meiling and I wanted to do…was to have fun…'_

…what was that? It sounded just like Li.

I heard a few children laughing, as one, a boy, opened the door and ran outside with a tobaggan. Another, a girl, ran out behind him. Both their faces, their features…

…_reminded me of a younger Syaoran and Meilin…_

Confused and thinking, I backed away from them, as Syaoran stopped running and stared at me.

'Meiling…' he said 'Is…that…aunty…?'

Meiling…that name rung in my mind as if I hadn't heard Syaoran, young or older, say it in years. It was true…since Meiling's death, Li never spoke a word about her. 

…about a second later, I ducked, as Meiling and Syaoran started to throw rocks and snowballs at me. 

'You're a bad person aunty!!' Syaoran yelled, throwing snowballs at me.

'I hate you mother! How could you do those bad things to uncle!!' Meiling yelled, and with that, a rock hit me in the forehead, knocking me back. It hurt me to watch Syaoran and Meiling hit me like this. I haven't even seen Meiling alive since I was twelve...

_…and the last time I saw Syaoran…he said he loved me…_

_…and I loved him too._

_…but this Syaoran didn't know who I was at all…he didn't know me yet…_

I got up and ran into the snowy forest nearby, running as fast as I could. Where was I?! Why was I seeing Li like this?! How is Meiling even here?!

Tears in my eyes, I stopped at a clearing in the forest, and the snow seemed to melt away very quickly. The sun started to shine, and when I opened my eyes…

…it was spring.

I was surrounded by the huge forest, which looked almost alien to me now. It had changed from winter to spring in just…a single moment. A few butterflies flew past me, as a single small grey wolf trotted in the forest. Its gaze faced me, and I turned to look at it, standing in place. It faced me as well, and walked towards me. Its eyes…strangely…were a bright green.

'You are the angel' it said to me, as I backed away. This wolf…could talk. 

'Angel?' I asked back. It nodded its head, and spoke again to me.

'Kinomoto Sakura, our Angel. Welcome to the Cosmos.' It said to me in a formal greeting.

'My name is Naroays' it said to me. 'I am all that remains of the man you knew as Syaoran.'

'W-what? What happened to Syaoran…?!' I yelled back, feeling as if I were to lose a part of myself.

'Syaoran only exists here now, his soul exists in pieces…' Naroays replied in a calm tone. 'He…has been taken over by the Cosmos.'

'No…you're lying' I said, going down to my knees. This isn't happening…not at all. He'll come back and hold me in his arms again. I could feel tears running down my cheeks. What if…Naroays was telling the truth?

'Calm, Angel, I still exist. I only exist in pieces now…scattered throughout then Cosmos. I am still here. Angel, Syaoran Li is still in me' Naroays said to me, trying to calm me down. I hugged the wolf, as it just whispered in my ear.

_      'Angel, you are the only one who can restore me.'_

    _~to be continued_


	3. Chapter Three - Blood On One's Cheek ~

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**Chapter Three - Blood on One's Cheek - **

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_The Cosmos_

_The Collection_

_The Imprisonate_

---

'Naroays…' I asked Naroays, as we both walked through a large glass tunnel. 'What exactly is the Cosmos…?'

'The Cosmos is Syaoran' Naroays replied in a cool tone. 'Its his thoughts, dreams, and memories all put into one place.'

'Wait…' I inturrupted. 'That means that this entire place…where I am right now…'

'Every place here was either thought of or experienced by him.' Naroays said back. 'It's a complete projection of who he was…'

'You said he was taken over by the Cosmos…would that mean that he was taken over by a part of himself?' I asked, simply not knowing what had happened.

'I am saying he has been taken over by something from his past…something he's been trying to deny all this time…' Naroays said to me. 'Another fragment…is taking over him.'

'…but…what could that be…' I asked myself behind my breath. I couldn't think of a single time that he had been so distraught to not tell me. We were too close…but if so…then it could be when…no, that can't be it.

'Angel, it is time to continue on your journey…' Naroays replied. 'It will only be a matter of time before I will be taken over as well.'

A small door appeared in front of me as I took my next step, and Naroays stood watching behind me.

'Before you leave' Naroays inturrupted. 'Please take this…'

From the sky, a small sword fell. It had a grey handle with a straight steel blade. Hanging from the hilt was a small piece of paper attached to string. I picked it up, reading the small paper.

_'From the forests of which the wolves spring, the sword of their power rests in your hands...the Foxes' Sword'_

'Angel, use it to defend yourself here….you don't know what to expect…'

With that, I turned the knob of the door and entered. Beyond it was complete darkness, and Naroays obliged me to enter it. I shut my eyes and entered it. Holding the sword tightly in my hands, I could feel a sudden rush of wind before me. 

I found myself in the middle of a street. Around me, it seemed as if I were in downtown Tokyo. 

I could hear a single voice from the distance. 

'Syaoran! Run!'

It was a girl's voice, maybe fourteen. I could hear the sound of someone running, as I could see just where it came from.

At the top of the street, I could see Syaoran, about fourteen also, running for his dear life from a huge …thing. I didn't even recognize it at all. What was that thing?!

Then, I saw a smaller version of myself running also. She was fourteen, as well, and was somehow lodged into the monster's skull. 

The monster was huge, about 2 stories tall, and completely red. On its right arm was a tattoo…

_Cosmos O-N-E_

With every step, it made the ground shake…and made me shake as well. I ran after it, passing Syaoran, and jumped high into the air, sword drawn out.

The other Sakura screamed, as the monster reached out to me. It hit me with its hand, and I landed on the street sidewalk. My arm started to ache, as I tried to stand again. I saw that my arm was bleeding a little, and I held it, sword still drawn out. 

'Young one who choose to defy the Cosmos, I am here to challenge you!' The monster said to me. 'For the goddess, Vita Una shall battle!'

Vita Una then pointed its head up and breathed out a huge gust of fire. I felt the flames burning heat, but looking down, I could see that my arm seemed to fade in and out of existance. Seeing the monster's head, I saw that the other Sakura was damn close to the flames that beast was breathing! If she died, I'd die also!!

I rushed towards the beast, as it faced me and started to shoot out fire. I dodged it, and kept running towards it. 

_Syaoran Li…I am a part of Syaoran, Li…_

The sword started to glow a bright yellow to my surprise, and I suddenly felt much stronger, taking my hand off the wound on my arm, I ran even faster it seemed.

_Racing through my heart…spirit of the fox…_

Lifting it, the sword being bright yellow, with instinct, I just spun the sword around me, creating an aura of power. I didn't even know what I was doing at all..

_Angel…release the power…strike!!_

I yelled out loud, as I let go of the power with my mind. The bright yellow aura split into multiple small blades, and each rushed towards the beast.

…and then it became quiet. I saw each hit strike Vita Una, and the other Sakura getting free from its head. She ran towards me, and held my hand, as Vita Una simply vanished. All that was left was a small hairpin, lying on the ground and glowing a bright red. 

Sakura and everything around me vanished, as I found myself in the middle of the white room again, with the hairpin on the ground. Picking it up, it again, gave a small aura of red when touched. 

_This is me… I heard something say in my mind. '__This is me…'_

I put the hairpin on my head, seeing my hands were glowing. Glowing a bright red, red as the roses Syaoran gave me every Sunday…

Upon the hairpin was an engraving, dug into the side of it. 

_My heart, as valiant as ever, everlessly glows with my power…my desire to love, my desire to succeed, my desire to care…_

Naroays said that Li had been scattered throughout the Cosmos…maybe this was one of the pieces? I put it into my hair, feeling so much more confident. I could feel my hair grow out, long, past my neck. 

My heart was now burning furiously, burning with hopes….and burning with my goal set in my mind. I would find Li, even if it would kill me in the process….

_Without Li, I was dying inside anyway…_

Another door appeared next to me, as I walked to it, hand feeling my newly-grown long hair. It felt…so much more different. Maybe it was a representation of something…or someone…

I sheathed my sword, and put my hand on the knob, stopping in place to think back. Back to when Li and I were just 'friends'…and the day I finally gave out to him. The day that he truly became mine…and held me…

…and I opened the door…hoping he'd be on the other side waiting for me.

Looking around, I could see he was. He stood on the other side of the huge field I now stood in. The wind blew, and I saw I was wearing a yukata and holding a small fan. 

_It was…that day…_

I walked up to him, him not noticing me at all. Every step I took didn't make him even raise an eyebrow, it seemed. He just looked out, out towards the fields.

I called out his name, when he finally answered me. He looked back, but in a tone I didn't recognize, he said back my name, but in a more casual way. He usually said my name with…such…heart…

'Sakura, I know what you are up to' he said to me. 'I know about Naroays…I know about everything. Your attempts are futile…you've lost Li already. 

I looked and stared into his eyes. They were a glowing green, as if he were possessed. 

…_it scared me…_

What scared me the most, however, was the encouragement that Li could be gone. I shook my head, and went down on my knees. I looked up, Li's image gone. Instead…It was Kenji standing in his place. Kenji's figure stood against the sun, making me have to squint in order to see him well. 

'Sakura, what need of you do you have to even be within the Cosmos?' he asked me, hand on his sword at his side. 'Do you wish for Li back, even when that is impossible?'

'How is it impossible?!' I screamed. 'How can is possibly be impossible…?!?!'

He lunged forward and grabbed me by the hair. He pulled my head up, and I shut my eyes. 

'It doesn't matter!' he yelled at me, pulling even harder as he spoke. 'Its finished, your attempts are pointless!' 

He then let go and pushed me to the ground. I felt my face scrape against the dirt, and I lay there. He pointed at me, as I looked up, too weak to get up for some reason. 

'You are nothing more than a self-pitying little girl.' He said silently, as if his low tone were to build a form of fear within me. A fear distilled into my heart to ward me away from my goal. I couldn't leave Li though. Not at all…

I gave a loud yell, grabbing my sword from my back, standing back up quickly, and pointing my sword at Kenji. He smirked, and held out his sword as well.

'So, the little girl rises for more….you are nothing more than a lost soul…' he said to me, acting as if I were nothing more than some innocent girl. I ran up to him, holding the sword, ready for my attack. 

I saw him vanish from my view, and turned around to see him try to slash at me with his sword. It braised against my cheek, leaving along a trail of blood against my cheek.

I jumped back, as I saw that small pinkish-white petals were falling from the sky. The wind blew, blowing my hair against my head and towards Kenji.

'Let it be, Kinomoto Sakura, that that scratch on your cheek be a reminder to turn back while you can…you cannot find Li again…' I heard him give out to me, and I saw a bright light. I covered my eyes, and then looked to see he had vanished…vanished amongst the huge cloud of petals…

I put away my sword, and went down on my knees. My cheek started to sting, and I put my hand on it, hoping for it to stop bleeding. It was a small scratch…but it still left a mark.

Dammit Kenji! You coward! Get back here!

The cloud of petals whispered away into the sky, and I looked around to see nothing more than a door and a tree nearby. 

_I don't care what Kenji says…I'm one step closer to my Syaoran…_

    _~to be continued_


	4. Chapter Four - On the Otherside ~

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**Chapter Four - On the Otherside**

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_If he just disappeared like that_

_Where could he be_

_Even if the man I hated_

_Was the man I could have loved._

---__

I stood inside another large tunnel. It was a tunnel that wsn't too far from my home, and I recognized it. Still, around it it had various lines of words…some which I could relate to…

_Sakura…_

_I love you…_

I read it to myself, and smiled. It had only made my will even stronger, and if I tried hard enough.

I could win…

The door still stood in front of me, at the end of the long tunnel. 

Walking in , I could hear laughter echoing throughout the long tunnel. It seemed to be my own laughter…some childish and some more recent.

It was all somewhat mesmerizing…so beautiful all at once. What I heard was the growing love…the very love that had grown from friendship, infatuation, and finally…affection.

…but then, in a single moment, it all stopped. The tunnel light started to dim, and I had the sudden instinct to run. I heard crying, screaming coming from the tunnel now. Most of them were of Li…and some so horrifying, I had to cover my ears. I literally ripped open the door in front of me, and ran to the other side…

…another bright flash appeared, and I found myself…standing…

…on a dock. There was a town built around me, one of which I didn't recognize…

Could this be one of Syaoran's dreams?

'Hey!' Someone yelled. A brown-haired girl walked up to me and gave me a small flower. 'Welcome to Maidel. This is our small seaport town, but we also offer schools of swordsmanship to the north. Please accept this flower on behalf of my family…'

It was a pretty light blue flower. I took it, and thanked the girl. Then, I asked for her name.

'Oh, my name is Yumiko. Yumiko Kinomoto.' She replied to me, and she ran off back into town. As she ran off, however, she dropped a small bag. I called out to her, but she didn't even turn back. It were as if she were a messenger of some sort….but for someone I didn't know. She even had the same last name as me…

I picked up the small bag, and out of my curiosity, I opened it. Inside was…

…the music box…the same one that Kenji had left behind before…

I soon noticed that it seemed older than I had last seen it, but upon opening it, its tune remained untouched by the time it walked past all the years that had past. Could this be an insight of a future? A dream of what might be in the future?

So, I ran…ran into the small town, Maidel. It had cobblestone roads, and flowers on every building. Could this be a special occasion?

'Buy yourself a Destined Flower! Only 5 yen!' someone yelled from the side. I could tell…these people loved flowers just too much.

Even from inland, I could hear the gentle moving of the sea. Soon after I noticed….

_…this entire city was floating on the sea…_

The coastal breeze blew in, and I breathed it into my lungs, feeling so refreshed. It must be so peaceful to live here… 

I soon caught up to Yumiko by the side of a small store or school or something. She took a look at me, and ran back into the building. Was she hiding something from me?

Running as fast as I could, I caught up to the door and opened it, revealing that the school was empty. I looked around the room, and saw that nobody was here at all.

Hanging from the sides of the walls were finely crafted katana. I picked one off the wall, but then I could hearsomeone walking inside the school.

'Just what do you plan to do with that sword?' he asked me. I couldn't recognize him at all..we wore a small white mask over his head.

'I'm sorry' I replied, putting the katana back onto the wall. 'I didn't mean to offend you.'

'Wait, Angel…' he said. I noticed how he had called me angel….could this man be…

'I am another part of Syaoran, Li. My name is Kegumi Kinomoto' he said back to me, bowing. 'If it means to be saved from the Chronos, then it shall be that I will teach you the art of the sword.'

The room around me seemed to waver away, as I found the two of us in the white room again. The katana, still in my hand, shimmered with the white light. Kegumi stared at me through his mask, and held his sword up front, allowing me a sample of the fine sword he held.

'Angel, strike me.' He yelled at me, seeming as if he were to have a twist at the end of his head. I held the sword with both hands, and took a strike towards Kegumi. However, he had suddenly disappeared. 

I could feel someone tap me on the shoulder, and I turned around to look. Kegumi stood before me once again, and he kicked me down. 

'You keep thinking in terms of the real world, Angel. Think as you were in a dream!' he said, and he disappeared.

I kept the sword up, ready for anything. I remembered how I had killed Cosmos O-N-E earlier…with a force I never knew existed. Could that be what he was talking about?

So, I concentrated. Suddenly, I could see that slowly, everything was turning blood red. Through the red, I could see a distant white shadow. That must be Kegumi!

My hands shaking, the sword started to glow a bright yellow once again and flashed in front of my eyes.

I yelled out, releasing the power contained in the sword. The brilliant streaks of yellow flying towards the white shadow. 

Finally, I saw the aura split, once again, into many swords, as they all closed onto where Kegumi stood.

'WAI!' I heard Kegumi yell. He re-appeared, and quickly seemed to just slash away the attack with one hand. 'Is that all you can do?!'

He put out his hand, and I could see a ball of fire seemingly appear. I ran towards him, knowing this would be my chance.

As I ran, however, the sword seemed to grow hotter in my bare hands. I could see the blade diminishing, and the yellow aura melting away.

'That katana cannot handle the extrematories of your Angel magic.' He said to me. 'Your skill is low-class!'

I reached out, towards my sheath on my back, and grabbed the Foxes' Sword, which Naroays had given me before. Fort some reason, however, it glowed with a light bluish aura. The foxes' sword shone brightly, and slowly morphed to that of a longer blade and new hilt. I held…it seemed like…a new weapon.

I pointed the weapon towards Kegumi and took a deep breath. My hands, not shaking any longer…my soul in full action. I felt my eyes burning, and fury took control of me…complete control it seemed.

I jumped up, over Kegumi and stopped in midair. Yelling even louder this time, I pointed the sword down, and from nowhere…a huge bluish beam shot down and erupted onto Kegumi. I heard a roar, one that an animal would make, and I flipped backwards onto the ground. Kegumi lay, tired and beaten from that attack. I stood, sword in hand, as small charges of energy bounced about my blade.

'You are starting to learn, Angel. This isn't a world in which you are being controlled. This is a free-moving place…in which…anything is possible…' He said, getting back onto his feet. He was still panting from fighting. Soon after, the white room disappeared, and we were both back in the school.

'Then…why can't I find Syaoran?' I asked. 'Why isn't there a door that just comes and lets me find Syaoran, if this is HIS mind?!'

'Perhaps it already has, but you just haven't realized it.' He said, taking off his mask. Behind the mask…I could tell it was a wolf's head…

_…it was Naroays._

'I can tell you this, however, that Syaoran's soul does not exist within me. I am merely a part of his own being. Be well Angel, and find our master soon…'

and Naroays disappeared again.

Leaving me dazed and confused…as to what may happen next…in the long run…

So, I put my sword back into its sheath on my back, and walked out of the small school. Looking around, I saw Yumiko standing on a dock, looking out to sea. I ran over to her as quickly as I could, the huge katana on my back hitting my back gently. 

_Maybe she could answer some of my questions… _

    _~to be continued_


	5. Chapter Five - The Second Mistress ~

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**Chapter Five - The Second Mistress**

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_Sitting down for a cup of tea_

_Thinking back on days passed_

_What is it..._

_...that made those days so special?_

---

Yumiko gazed out towards the sea, as if mesmerized by its slow calm waves. I walked up to her, hands behind my back, and stood by her side to look out at the huge vastness of blue that lay ahead of us both.

'Yumiko, you say that your last name is 'Kinomoto', right?' I asked her, as she continued looking out, as if not hearing me at all, but I took it that she was too absorbed with the scenery ahead.

'Yes, my last name is 'Kinomoto'. Why?' she asked, facing me with a smooth expression. Her expression gave me a feeling that I was looking at myself somehow ... as if she were me in a way...

'Well, mine is too' I replied. 'What a coincidence'

Yumiko smiled and continued looking out at the ocean. 'The books say its good luck to meet someone with the same last name as you. Perhaps I should wish for it to come true?'

I saw that her smile slowly disappeared and she just sighed. 'Unfortunatly...if luck exists, then where is fate involved?'

I sat down, hanging my legs from the side of the dock, as my shoes slowly danced among the ocean water. 'What if fate doesn't exist?' I asked her, watching her breath out another sigh.

'What if fate controls you so much that you are blind to know that you are its own slave?' she asked me. I shrugged, that was a pretty damn good answer.

'Is there something wrong?' I asked Yumiki, and she glanced to me again. Her hair was a light brownish...tinted with a hint of grey on the tips. 

'No...just a feeling' she said back, her voice as soft as ever. She sat down next to me, and just gave out a deep breath. 'Just a feeling...that I know you somehow...'

I looked down at the water, admiring its natural beauty. If only we could all just flow on just like it. 'We usually all feel that way, Yumiko.' I replied.

She smiled and suddenly gave me a friendly hug. 'Thank you stranger, I very much doubt that you aren't an angel impersonified.' 

She stood up again, looking behind her. 'I must return home before my brother gets angry at me.'

'Wait!' I interrupted. 'I believe this is yours.' I pulled out the small music box from my bag and handed to her, and she gave me a look of gratitude. 

'Thank you so much, I didn't even notice that I had forgotten it. I hope to see you again Ms. Kinomoto.'

'As of you' I answered, giving her the impression that I wasn't strangely affected by her presence. Just as she said she felt as if she knew me...I had the deepest emotional feeling...that...somehow...she could have been close to me at one time. That I had known her at least once in my life. That can't be though...I'm in Li's mind...the Cosmos.

As she walked away, I could only give out the idea to follow her to wherever she was going. Without even thinking about it, I just ran, silently however, ran and followed her to her home.

She walked inside, and I could hear a man talking to her. Obviously..it had to be her brother.

I stood outside, peeking through a window, as Yumiko walked into another room and shut the door. I moved over to the adjacent mirror to observe her. I had a feeling that she may do something that would give me a clue about Syaoran...or maybe a complete explanation of what is happening.

I watched her as she sat down and brushed her hair. She lay the small music box on the vanity, and lifted the lid, the tune playing out sweetly. Then, I could hear her brother call her again, as Yumiko called back and ran to him. 

...somehow her brother's voice seemed so familiar to me... I don't know why either...

With Yumiko gone, I took a glance around her room. It was a small room, with only a vanity and a small bed. There was a small desk on the side...but not large enough to probably call a desk, but instead...a coffee table perhaps.

Then I saw it. Lying on the small coffee table was actually...a small wand. It looked much like my old one, but instead, had the shape of a crescent moon at the top. 

Could Yumiko possibly be a...

...no...

...she couldn't be...

I could hear footsteps comming from outside the room, and a tall young man opened the door. He was tall...perhaps even as tall as Naroays when he stood on two feet. 

I ducked, as the man, obviously Yumiko's brother, looked around the room.

'I could have sworn I heard something in here.' he said, scratching the back of his neck and closing the door. I stood up and walked away. 

  '_That was close'  I thought to myself, walking away from the window. I made my way down the street, finding mywelf at the edge of the massive floating city. I sat down, much as I did before, and took out the katana that I carried, sheathed, on my back. _

   The handle was beautiful, very ornate, and the blade was a long, yet thin, piece of steel. It was a fine sword, and had a tag on it, much like the Foxes' Sword did. 

   "_From the grasps of the goddess, the sword, cloaked as its previous user...the hidden katana..."_

_    'Fine name for a fine sword' I thought to myself, and re-sheathed it.  ___

_    I sensed someone walking towards me, and faced backwards to reveal Yumiko, wearing her nightgown and holding a plate of cookies. _

    'I thought you might be here, you're not too good at sneaking up on people are you?' she asked, and I choked. 

    'How did you know I was there?' I asked, trying to keep as calm as possible.

    'I could see you in the vanity mirror. Your hair should be tied down at least when you do stuff like that, especially on a windy day like today.' She said and laughed. 

    'Then maybe I will, judging from your extensive experience' I said, laughing with her. It was so embarassing, I just had to laugh it off. I can't help myself.

    She picked up a cookie and ate it, while offering me some. I picked one up and ate it...it felt good to eat something...I was hungry.

    'You know, I don't even know your name.' Yumiko brought up, looking at me at the same time.

    'My name?' I asked. Should I tell her my real name? No... 

    'My name is Kyoko, Kyoko Kinomoto' I lied, but still smiled. 

    'Kyoko? I see, well, you already know mine.' she shrugged. She handed me the plate, seemingly as if she knew that I was hungry. 'I have to go now. You don't need to return the plate, my father works at the pottery mill and brings a lot home.

    'Thank you, Yumiko' I said back to her, literally swallowing the cookies with all my hunger involved.'

    She waved and ran home. I sat, eating and admiring the beautiful moonlit ocean. Tomorrow I would continue my journey...whether it wear me out before I leave Maidel or not...

     _  ...Li...I am comming for you..._

    _~to be continued_


	6. Chapter Six - The Forest Arisen ~

---

**Chapter Six - The Forest Arisen**

---

_What can love be compared with?_

_Shall it be our hearts, _

_our pulsating hearts that lay inside us?_

_Or shall it be the black heart that plagues_

_the man's very soul_

---

     Walking without stopping, I brushed the sweat off my forehead with my sleeve. It was hot where I was now...

      Before me lay miles of nothing more than sand and the brisk hot sun. After opening the previous door, I arrived at a place that my mind could only call 'hell'. The sand slowly seeping into my shoes, I still walked, even as my feet began to grow sore.

      ...nothing but silence...

     Soon, I found myself wondering why I was even here. Find Li? What if he's already gone...

     He can't be gone though...thats whats making me continue to walk...in...this desert...

     I could hear my own heart beating, for that was as silent as it was. My reality distorting as my eyes grew dry. Nothing more than an obscurity...nothing more...

     ...then what if it were that my own goal werte an obscurity...perhaps I'm just dreaming...

     ...but no...the sun burning upon me...its too real to be fake...

     ...or possibly the other way around as well...

     The desert seemed infinite, the very possibility of me making it slim...

     ...and I fell..

     ...and found myself in the desert no longer. Instead, a forest of bamboo took its place, each standing tall as if it were telling me not to pass them. Taking out my sword, I sensed that something had to be here.

       I walked forward, and could hear some laughter from deeper into the forest. I turned my head, and I could hear nothing more than the rustling of the bamboo waving with the wind. 

       I searched the area around me, but could find nothing...or no one..

       ...instead, it seemed as if I were getting lost amongst the bamboo. That instead, maybe I've been searching in the wrong place.

       ...and so I looked up...

       I could see the clouds, and it were about to rain. I held out the sword, standing in place, waiting for something to strike me. I knew something had to be here.

       I waited...and waited

       ...nothing came by...nothing even rustled the bamboo...

       Instead, I could only hear the faint sound of laughing from the forest.

       'Who are you?!' I yelled. 'Who are you?!'

       ...and the laughter became louder, as if it had moved closer to me. 

       ...and in front of me, I saw a small rock lift into the air. It flew towards me, and hit me. It didn't hurt, but more and more lifted into the air and hit me.

       Soon after, an entire ring of small rocks formed around me. I could hear the same laughter, but even closer now...

             ...stalking me...like a predator...

             ...weakening me by throwing sticks and stones...

       Where could it be? I had no clue.

       ....I could only either wait for it to appear

       ...or just make it appear...

       The rocks hit me, each one sending its own private sting to my skin. I did nothing more than shut my eyes and drop my sword. I don't know why...but I waited. Pelted by the rocks...

       The bushes rustled even more, and the laughter stopped. I could see someone hiding, most likely a child, the top of their head exposed from the top of the bush. As I focused on that area, the person ran from me, shreiking as if caught. I ran after him/her...what was that person trying to do? Even if for no reason...how could he/she lift the rocks like that...

        Running at my own full speed, it was hard to keep up with the person I was pursuing, even if it were a child or not. However, there were trees and the such that I had to dodge.

        I saw the child stop at a log, which spanned across a river. I could see fish jumping out of the water, fighting the current, trying to get upstream. The child sat down, and threw rocks at the river.

         Looking at his face...I could tell...

              ...she was....Meiling....

        'Meiling?' I asked her. 'Is that you?'

        Meiling looked at me, her face still etched with the innocence that comes with childhood. She walked towards me, strangely seeming to age as she came closer to me. By the time she was right in front of me, she was my age...around 20...

        'Kinomoto Sakura. Its been too long...' she said to me, as I just looked into her eyes. Her eyes looked like they always had...but without the usual life in them...

        'Yes...it has...' I replied, unknown to what just happened. Meiling was only a part of Li's mind...she died...6 years ago.

        'Do you know who I am, Kinomoto Sakura?' she asked, tears forming in her eyes. 

        'Yes...I do' I said back, keeping my tone down. It shocked me to be able to see Meiling again..although she wasn't real.

        'Then why do you , in your mind, doubt I am me?' she asked. 

        'Why shouldn't I?' I asked her.

        '...because you're the one who killed me...' she coldly remarked, glaring at me from below her breath. I backed away, as the area around us both disappeared, and I found myself sitting in the middle of a movie theater. The theater was huge and magnificent, with sparkling pillars standing on the sides...much like an old theater.

        The screen in front of me flickered, as I could see myself , Li, and Meiling standing at the corner. I could recognize the sceene almost immediatly...

                        ....it was where Meiling was killed...

        I could see the three of us walking across the street, and the truck driving towards us.

        Sitting in my seat, I saw that the only thing I could do was sit and watch. I tried to cover my eyes with my hands, but it felt like my hands were glued to my lap...as if I wanted to see it all again in some way...but...that can't be...am I that heartless of a person?

        I could see the water jump, Syaoran grabbing me before it came...Meiling standing in front of the closing headlights....

         ...and I could only see me crying into Syaoran...as he held me. Closing his eyes, he turned away from the road....as the ambulance took her away...

        ...and the movie stopped. 

        Meiling stood in front of the screen, holding a music box as she walked over to me. However, she walked _through the seats...as if she were a ghost. Still holding the music box, she came closer to me...and closer..._

         ...and stopped in front of me. She looked into my eyes, her tears giving way at the etches of her eyes. The very expression that she hated me...but couldn't hate me at the same time. She wiped of her eyes, and opened the small music box, as it played the same tune as the one Li and Yumiko both had...except inside this music box...

               ...a small cherry blossom seemed to clog the sokes, making the song sound distorted. Still, the gears continued...and the small box struggled to play its tune.

              'Why is it that he never said a single word...' she asked me, facing towards the ground. 'Why couldn't say a single word...or warned me too...'

                        _Why couldn't he say a single word after I died...?_

_               ...and she disappeared, disappeared in a rain of feathers which slowly floated down. With that, the small music box played its tune normally...as the small cherry blossom was ripped apart among the gears._

      _'He will have something to say Kinomoto, Sakura. He will have something to say'_

    _~to be continued_


	7. Chapter Seven - The One the Cosmos Had F...

---

**Chapter Seven - The One The Cosmos Had Forgotten**

---

_Once a friend, forever a friend?_

_Is that to be applied,_

_when you are a friend betrayed?_

---

_         Meiling..._

_                                              Meiling..._

_                 Meiling..._

_Meiling...                                      Meiling...                                Meiling..._

_             Meiling...           Meiling...                                                        Meiling..._

_     Meiling...             _

_                               Meiling..._

_     How could she possibly be here...?_

_     ...she died..._

_     .......shouldn't she be in the 'castle in the sky'...?_

_    ...I sent my prayers for a safe voyage..._

_    .....and she comes back.....like this...._

_            ...what am I to say?_

    Nothing...

    Nothing at all...

    Sitting alone, again, by the docks of Maidel, I looked out over the vast sea once again. How cruel the sea was...to wash away even the most pathetic item from the beach. Even Meiling...

    For even as the waves were beautiful, it caused in its own way its own beautiful destruction. Was was I to decide how the waves would run, how they would go. 

     ...I am the water that makes up the wave, slave to its every wishing. The wave ... fate...controlling our lives, governing them. Deciding when to hit the shore...and wash away...

     Once again, I heard footsteps behind me, and saw Yumiko standing there. She was wearing her nightgown once again, and radiated a smile that I used to smile in my innocent childhood, even if she were my age.

    Of course, she sat near me and stared into my eyes, as if knowing just what to expect of me...what I would say...what I was doing..

                ...what I was looking for...

     She smiled, as she looked out with me, again, giving me the sense that...Yumiko seemed to care about me as a friend somehow...even if I only met her a few hours ago. There was something special about this girl...

    'You always sit by this pier and act all depressed. Is there something I'm missing out on?' she asked me, her greenish eyes glowing in the moonlight. I wrapped my arms around my legs, and smiled to her.

    'I'm just fine, Yumiko. Still...why would you care? I mean...we really don't know eachother...' I replied, shivering, for the sea breeze was blowing in. She smiled at me as well, but it wasn't fake at all..nor hidden. It was...natural.

    'You're lying, aren't you?' she asked me, giving off a short laugh before trying to become serious again. I nodded and gave off a seemingly nervous smile. 'Its ok, Sakura, I can sense how you feel and all. I have a feeling about you somehow...stramge...kinda feels like we're both the same person...'

    'Yumiko, have you ever lost a friend? I mean, a good friend.' I asked her, as she nodded back to me. 'Yes I have...but I don't know...its as if...I have, but I don't remember.'

    'Oh?' I asked her, as she looked down. 

    'Its just a feeling Kyoko....I'm sure you've felt that way before.' She replied to me, and smiled. 'We're one in the same, just that you've identified your losses. As far as I know, I can't understand...or find mine.

   For some reason, she hugged me, like a good friend would. Strange, how our feeling of friendship spawned in only a few hours. 

   'If you'd like, you may sleep at my house tonight. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind.' she offered. In my head, I felt the responsibility of my journey enter me. Then, after thinking, my stomach growled. I was hungry...very hungry...

   'I'd be more than happy to come over.....I haven't eaten most anything for a while.' I said, as we both walked up the steps to the residential platform of Maidel. 

  'I would have to guess that a bag of cookies wasn't enough for you?' she asked me, as she opened the door. Somehow though, when she opened the door, a bright light shone into my eyes...

    _~to be continued_


	8. Chapter Eight - Por Una Cabeza ~

   ---

   **Chapter Eight - Por Una Cabeza**

   ---

_   Shall we dance to the music?_

_   Shall we dance among the stars?_

_   Or should we just sit..._

_       ...and reminscence..._

   ---

    I found myself standing in front of a huge buffet table, wearing an evening dress. I examined myself further to find that my sword, the hidden katana, was gone.

          Looking around, I saw that I wasn't in Yumiko's home at all..

       ...I was in a huge domed ballroom...almost completly made of glass...

    Had Yumiko opened a Cosmos door? Was I stuck in another of Syaoran's dreams?

    One of the servants came with a tray and offered me a cup of wine. I picked it up and held it between my fingers, thanking him. 

    'Madame, be sure to ready your mask for the party' the servant said to me, and handed me a small black bag. 'Do not open it until the master appears.'

    I thanked him again, and he walked away, serving the other guests within the glass ballroom. 

    I started to see that most of the people in the ballroom were completly dressed up for whatever ocassion we were celebrating. Their hair made all nice...I'm not too used to being dressed up.

   Looking into a mirror, I could see I was. My hair let down as usual, but two thin curly strands running down the sides of my face. Very very untypical of me...

   Then, from the corner of my eye, I could see Yumiko walking around the room, confused. She wore a dress much like mine, with butterfly patterns with silk lining, and she walked with a black bag in her hand as well. It took her some time to notice me, and when she did, she walked over to me, her dress shoes tapping the marble floor gently, a confused look on her face.

   _...I thought that Yumiko was part of another dream...why would she still be here..._

   'Kyoko, where are we?' she asked me. It took me a while to answer...I had no idea.

   'Its hard to explain Yumiko...' I replied, as she suddenly seemed interested. I took a drink from my glass, hoping it might make me feel a lot better.

   Then, I could hear the sounds of bells outside of the ballroom, as everyone in the room reached into their black bags. Reaching into mine, I could see that mine was empty. It appeared it was the same with Yumiko as well. Looking at the others, each person pulled out the same mask..

      ...a wolf's head...

                    ...more distinctly...Naroays' head...

    Then, everyone watched, as a man with a mask on as well, walked down the grand stairs, walking as if he were a conquering menace...arm in the air, as if to say that he controlled us...__

_                      ...much like fate..._

   ...and as he finally took his step on the marble dance floor, the others began to dance...dozens of dancing wolves...as if taunting me...for my own foolish endeavor.

   The 'master' looked about the room, and took it that suddenly he just had to look at me and walk ... walk towards me too...

   'Angel...what are you doing here?' the 'master' asked me. I could tell that voice from anything...it was Naroays...

   'Kyoko, who is this man?' Yumiko asked me, as Naroays looked at Yumiko, as if he had known her before and hadn't seen her in ages. Yumiko seemed to take notice, and backed away slightly.

   'Akuras?' he asked her, as she shook her head. I guess he was trying to...see if she were merely a part of this dream as well.

   'Naroays...where are we...?' I asked him, as the music continued in the background. I could hear the people's laughter...behind their masks.

   'Sakura, welcome to the Dome of Souls. In this chamber lies the souls of those the Cosmos has consumed.' Naroays answered.

   'The Cosmos has consumed...?' I asked, as he nodded. 

   'These men, women, and children have all fallen under the power of the Cosmos...and if you don't succeed, I'm afraid Syaoran will only have time for the dance floor.' Naroays explained to me. 

   'Kyoko...who is this man...and wat is he talking about...?' Yumiko asked me in a confused tone. She also had a look of fear...and at the same time, her face gave me the impression that she had seen Naroays before.

  'Girl, what is your name?' Naroays asked Yumiko, as she cleared her throat.

  'My name is Yumiko Kinomoto.' she answered, as Naroays gave a big sigh. Was there something he was hiding from me? 

  Naroays then looked at her neck, where her necklace sparkled with the brilliant light the chandeliers gave off from the glass ceiling. He examined her pendant, one that was whiteish...much like a pearl. It was set in a very ornate golden piece...one that was so intricatly modelled...you could only see the time put into it.__

_                       ...but how could a peasant girl have such a jewel?_

  'You have a very special jewel there, Yumiko....I see that you are no ordinary girl...' he told her, as she looked up at him.

  Soon after, I opened my mouth. 'Naroays, she came from another dream....could this necklace be what's...' 

  'Angel' he inturrupted. 'You have no idea at all.'

  He looked back at the dance floor, the people dancing with their masks still. Then, amongst them all, I could see a faint shadow of Li appearing...dancing slowly...as if he were all alone...

  'Angel, you have not much time left.' Naroays said behind me. 'I'd recommend you explain everything to Yumiko, for she could be of much help to you'

  ...and he disappeared.

  'Wait! Why would I be so important! Come back!' Yumiko yelled, as she passed through nothing more than air. She went down to her knees, and didn't look back at me.

  'Kyoko...I don't doubt you have much to say to me right now...' she said to me in a weak tone. 

  I pulled out a chair near her, and sat in it. Clearing my throat, I started out my explanation as well as I could...

_  'Well, to start.....my name isn't Kyoko' _

    _~to be continued_


	9. Chapter Nine - The Day Maidel Hit Shore ...

     ---

**Chapter Nine - The Day Maidel Hit Shore**

   ---__

_  The only home I had, destroyed..._

_  ...all hope seemingly lost..._

_...except as I look at it..._

_         ...should I feel bad..._

_...or should I laugh...?_

_         ...at my own unfortunate happening...?_

   ---

   'Why didn't you tell me?' Yumiko asked me, as we continued walking through the garden. Naroays told me that Yumiko was important somehow...and it was strange how she existed in this dream as well...

   'Yumiko....I'm sorry...' I said back. It was all I could say. We just continued walking, the trees on each side of the small little path just slightly swifting to the wind.

    ...and yet, she didn't seem mad. Her face didn't falter at all, nor did it show a single sign of calmness. Instead, she simply said 'Its okay', in a tone and a face...that almost made me cry.

    'Sakura, you could have told me though...' she then said back, almost as silent as a whisper. Looking at her through the eyes, I explained to her that I didn't even know her for a full day...and she was already treating me like too much of a friend. Who was I to put trust in someone I had just met?

    She sighed. 'Its just a feeling, Sakura. Don't you have that feeling as well?'

    I gave out a small breath, and could only say no.

    We kept silent for most of the rest of the walk.

    ---

    Continuing to walk on the cobblestone path below us, Yumiko and I sat down on a bench. The night sky glittered above us, as the wind continued to blow.

    'Just like the nights in Maidel...'I said, looking over to the huge glass dome in the distance. 'With the dome as our moon tonight, I guess.'

    Yumiko looked up at the sky, her eyes sparkling as well as the jewelry she wore. She looked all the more beautiful...as if blessed by an angel. 

    'Hmm...I never noticed this...' Yumiko said, as she looked at my head. She pulled out my hairpin, as it glowed a malaginative red.

    '...and I never noticed this...' I said to her, as I lifted her pendant from her neck. It glowed a blushish-white color, twinking with the light from the dome.

    'Oh, my brother gave me this before he disappeared...' she replied, seeming to be hurt. I put the pendant down, and I put my hand on her back. 

    'Its ok, Yumiko...' I calmly said to her. 

    'I miss him everyday...my brother...he said that he'd be back from his little journey...and he never returned.' she sighed. Nothing short of the same as me, except I was looking for Syaoran...

    'I miss Syaoran even more as I try to look for him here...' I replied, trying to hold back my tears as well. 'Maybe...its just a stupid feeling. Its most likely brought up because..well...we just don't know what happened to them...'

    'Right...' she said back in a weak tone. She sighed, and looked at me.

    'Still....what should it matter to you how I feel? I am merely a part of his dream, right?' she then suddenly remarked. 'Everything about me was created by him...I'm not real Sakura.' 

    'How do you know that, Yumiko?' I then answered.

    'I don't...' she said back, putting her head down. 'I guess I will only find out in the afterlife after I die...'

    I looked at her, and she fumbled with her dress to be able to sit the right way. 'Still...if I don't know whether I'm real or not....where is the meaning of me even existing?' 

    'Are we here to know why we are here, Yumiko? We're all here because we just are' I responded, smiling past my worries.

    'I guess so then.' she said back, and stood up. 

    I stood up as well, as she walked down the path again. Following her, it suddenly became colder and colder until it started to snow...

   ...ahead of us, the path stopped at the edge of a long fingerlike extension elevating over the surrounding land. The ground was covered in snow, and Yumiko ran up to the edge of the cliff.

   She just stood in place...

   I followed her, and I too was shocked.

   Ahead of us, making it through the snow that fell slowly through the air, we could see a massive wooden structure almost completly destroyed. Its wear looked as if it had been there for some time, and the icy waves moved about the sides of the structure, even reaching inside it, slowly consuming it back into sea.

    'Sakura...' Yumiko slowly said, holding her hand to her mouth. 'Oh my god...'

    Ahead of us lay the ruined mass of our beloved and adoptive city...Maidel...

     ---

    'Sakura...! Come on! We have to see what happened!' Yumiko frantically yelled out, as she ran in her evening gown, almost ignoring the fact that it was freezing cold. I ran behind her, trying to catch up. Maidel looked as if it had been hit by something...and hard. From what I saw...most of it was already gone.

     She ran through the torn gates of the city, and towards the residential district of the city. I walked, still following, but noticing the body-shaped bumps under the snow scattered amonst the ground.

     I followed the road down, until I came across a disturbing sight. In the center of the city...where the crossroads had once been, there was a huge gaping hole, about 30 feet wide and across. At the bottom of the hole lay a bluish pool of something or another...that glowed a blushish and reddish color. It was strange how it seemed to glow both at once...maybe it was just me.

     Yumiko ran over to me, panting as she ran. About to talk to me, her direction suddenly pointed to the large hole in front of us, and walked to the edge.

      'What could this be, Sakura?' she asked me. I tilted my head and looked down. inside, I could see something floating inside the pool. 

        ...The Chronos Sword...the one Li was holding when he had disappeared...

       It was too far down to reach for...you hadd to jump into the pool to get it. Still...does this mean that Syaoran had been here? Wheres no telling about what could happen as soon as you touch it...

       'Sakura, my house is still standing. The beds are a bit rusty...but they seem just fine. If you want, we can stay there for some sleep.' Yumiko offered, and I looked down. Lying on the ground was a small flower...the one of the ones that this town had once sold. A Destined Flower...

       However, it was blackish and wilted...and dead. With many years of existance, it must be that the cold had preserved it so well. It was fragile though...I was afraid I may break it with the slightest touch. I gave it to Yumiko, who placed it inside a small bag of which she had recovered from her home.

       'Should we find out what is inside that hole?' she asked me, and I nodded. 

       'Yeah...we should...and I have a feeling that it will be something that we both have been looking for...' I replied, looking over my shoulder to her.

       'What do you mean by that?' she asked me, and I gave out a small smile.

     _'We'll find out tomorrow, Yumiko. We will find out tomorrow...'_

    _~to be continued_


	10. Chapter Ten - Dreams Within Shadows ~

   ---

**Chapter Ten - Dreams Within Shadows**

   ---__

_  The shadows creep behind my desk _

_  I ask, whether they be of the dark_

_  It comes with no answer_

_  Some things are meant to not be known._

   ---

   I held my breath, and jumped into the bluish pool that lay in front of me. I landed, seeing that I was standing on the top of the pool somehow. As if I were walking on water....

   Yumiko jumped down as well, and my eyes turned to the Chronos sword. I kneeled down and picked it up, its blade gleaming with the sun's light.

   Then, as quickly as I picked up the sword, the bluish liquid we stood upon began to fall, as if suddenly a floor had been pulled out from under it. I could hear Yumiko scream, and I tried to catch a breath of air, as we plummeted down..

    ---

    I shook my head, holding it because it seemed to be injured. I sat upright, and stood up, looking around myself. I was in a field, a large field may I add. Surrounding the field,. strangely, were mountains..as if it were a small 'island' of a grassy field. Yumiko lay against a single tree, which was located in the middle of the field. Looking down, I saw that the Chronos Sword lay on the ground I had awaken on.

    A small door suddenly appeared next to where Yumiko was standing, as I could see it open. Out come a foot, and Naroays' wolfish head was revealed to me. She looked towards Yumiko and smiled, simply standing there and admiring something about her. From the way he looked...it seemed as if it were something special to him to be able to see Yumiko.

    'Arukas...' I heard him say to Yumiko. 'Arukas...wake up'

    Yumiko started to move her jhead a little, and then blinked her eyes. She gave out a scream, as Naroays covered her mouth. He whispered something into her ear, and suddenly, she became quiet. In fact, soon after, they each gave eachother a hug. I could see tears in Yumiko's eyes. 

    So...I ran towards them both, but was stopped somehow. I couldn't move...as if I were frozen in place by some kind of magic...

    ...I couldn't even speak...

    Naroays took Yumiko's hand, and they both walked through the door which had appeared only recently. Finally able to move, I ran towards the door, but was seconds too late. The door disappeared before me, disapproving of any way of following them. Where had Naroays taken Yumiko...?

     ...somehow...it was starting to make me question who my allies really were...

     Then, I could feel a sudden strong surge of wind. It knocked me off my feet, as the leaves from the single tree blew towards me. What could THIS be now?

     A large ring of fire sparked, surrounding me within a flaming cage. I pulled out my Chronos Sword, its very blade seemingly distorting the laws of space and time.

     'Sakura....do you learn nothing in your training?' someone asked me from the fire. I turned my head this way and that...but I couldn't find where the voice was comming from. It sounded like it was comming from just about everywhere.

     A shadow appeared amongst the fire, as I watched the shadow move through the blazingly hot embers. Holding the sword in front of me, all I could do was hope that this man...wasn't the man I thought it was.

     His face, etched with a small scar on his chin, stood tall with his usual long sword in his left hand. His long hair flowing freely among the fire. The embers slowly rising above his feet.

     Kenji...

     Without even letting him say a word, I lunged and attacked.

     'I see you welcome my welcome very well, Messenger.' he said to me in his own little tone. I backed away from him and spun my sword around. 

     He pointed his hand towards me and a small ball of ice appeared in his palm. He threw it at me, as my feet couldn't move. They were frozen...

     I fell over, my feet trapped in their icy cage. Kenji walked all the more closer to me, knowing I was completly vulnerable to attack. In vain, I lifted the sword towards him, my hand shaking with the pain that filled my body.

     'Should you be one that I kill now?' he asked me, hitting my sword away. It gave off a small sound as it hit the ground, and i could only sit there helpless as he empowered me, domoinated my crippled self. I was shackled..and completly at Kenji's mercy.

      He put his sword down in a way that it touched the top of my nose, in between my eyes. 

      'What a beautiful girl you are' he said, slowly dropping the tip of his sword down to the top of my lips. I could feel myself sweating. It couldn't end this soon. Not after all of whats happened. 'It is much too bad you've put yourself in this situation.'

      'I will let you know that your search for Syaoran's soul and body will only come with me finishing this fight. if it comes to it, I will not be held back.' He explained to me, as he sheathed his sword. 'Go home' he then added.

     The fire vanished, the ice around my feet vanished, and I was able to move again. I stood back up, the field slowly disolving from around me. instead, I found myself in another completly white room with a bus stop located right in the center.

     I looked around, and walked towards the bus stop. It was empty, and a single bench sat there. The sign on the stop clearly gave out the address of my own home, and a small bag lay on the bench.

     I gave out a sigh, as I sat down on the bench. For the first few minutes of waiting, it came to me that I was giving up with Li...but I knew I was...Could I possibly defeat Kenji?

     It didn't hit me...if he were refraining his true power at the time, how powerful could he possibly become if he were to be fighting for real?

            ...would I get killed...? Should I just live on without Li...?

                        ...or is that a fate worse than death...?

                                 ...should it even be something to be compared with...?

       I waited there beside the small bag on the bench. The bus never seemed to come...and it had been a long time since I had been here. Curious, I opened the small bag to examine what was inside.

       The music box..the old music box was in that bag...

       I lifted the top of it to listen to its tune, but no sound came out. I tried to put my ear closer to it, but still could hear absolutly no sound. Still, the gears were turning and the tuning bars were being struck. 

      I set it down, crossing my legs and waiting for the bus to come. It slowly began to rain, and I had to sit under the small shelter in which the bench was located under. The music box right next to me, still not playing, being my only company. Hours later, I found myself waking up from sleep on the bench...

     This bus didn't take its own time to pick me up and get me out of the Cosmos.

     'Dammit!' I yelled, and threw the music box out of the bus stop. It hit the ground, and I heard a single low note tingling . Curious once again, I picked it up, as it played louder and smoother. I took a step away from the bus stop, as it played then even louder. 

     Does the Cosmos want me to come back or something? 

     ...or do I simply want to go back?

    I stood there, frozen, listening to the music box. The door to go back still stood in front of me, and I could still open it. Perhaps...I ... need Syaoran...or at least....I need to find out what exactly is happening here...

   _ The small music box let out a short silence, as the lid opened and out came a gust of wind._

    _Sakura..._

_    It was a voice...it was..._

              Syaoran's voice...

    _Kinimoto Sakura..._

_     'Syaoran?!' I yelled. The small music box let out a soft tune, as Syaoran somehow spoke to me._

     _Sakura...Naroays...Naroays has a secret he is hiding from you..._

_      'Secret? Like what...is he...' I asked._

     _Kinomoto Sakura...keep Yumiko away from Naroays...and Kenji..._

_      'Why? What do they want with her?!' I screamed. 'Who the hell do they think they are...?!'_

      _Sakura...thank you..._

_       ...and the lid closed. I shook the small music box furiously, but it only rang out a jumble of mixed notes.  _

        'Am I to understand that the music box just spoke to you?' a voice asked from behind me. I turned around to see Yumiko, her hair tied back, holding a small bag and the Chronos Sword. 

        'Yeah, I'd have to say it did' I replied, walking towards her.   

        Then, the small flakes of snow started to fall again, as Yumiko reached her hand out.

        'The snow...its back...' she said, looking up.

        In the distance, as the snow blew, I could see a shadow of something gleaming. It looked as if it were a large building...one that shone with the sunlight. I took a step, as a trail of snow melted away, giving me a clear path to the structure. 

        Maidel was clearly in the foreground, still a crumbling wreckage. I looked behind me and noticed that the bus stop was still there, just in case if I wanted to go back. I wasn't too sure if I wanted that though...

        'What should we do...?' Yumiko asked me, as my eyes were fixed on the structure dead ahead. Another path, however, also led back to Maidel. The sky slowly turned black over our heads, as the clouds came togethger to unleash a thick flurry of snow upon us both.

        'Yumiko...go to Maidel...' I ordered her. She just stood there, as if she couldn't hear me. maybe as if she didn't want to hear that from me at all.

        'Sakura...why do you want me to stay in Maidel?' she asked me in a very unexpected tone. The snow came down even harder, and I continued to not even look at her. I knew Kenji had to be at that building so far away. Yumiko would be in danger...

         'Yumiko...just go. You'd only be in danger if you came with me...' I told her, as she refused to do so.

         Then, I turned to her, and she looked at me as well. 'Syaoran told me it was best...'

         Yumiko walked up to me and took off her necklace. She opened my hand, and placed it in my grasp and closed it. 

          'You'll most likely need this' she told me, as she started to walk back to Maidel.

          I watched her take pace and walk back, the snow falling behind her. 

          'Yumiko...I'll be back...just let me finish what I came here to do...' I whispered, as I walked towards the dark shadowy structure in the snowy distance.

    _~to be continued_


	11. Chapter Eleven - The Girl Who Stole the ...

   ---

**Chapter Eleven - The Girl Who Stole The Stars**

   ---__

_Decisions..._

_      ...made wrong..._

_     ...how wrong could I have been...?_

   ---

   My feet aching, as I stood before the doors of the icy structure that I had been heading for. From here, I could see that where I had started my walk was far away...very far away...

    I pushed open the door, as I could hear a bell ring the hours. I stepped in, the smell of an ageless odor filled my lungs. 

    There were two stairways to the side, and at the top was a balcony in which torches lit the hall of which I stood inside of.

    I took out my sword, and slowly walked up one of the staircases. The steps creaked as I walked, and I had to hold onto the rail to convince myself that I wouldn't fall down.

    On the balcony was a single door. There was also a small window which gave a good view of the outside. Ahead of the tower was a huge pennisula-like piece of land. maidel's ruins lay on the western coast, and the bus stop of where I had started was near the tip. I opened the door, which thank god, was a normal door. 

     Ahead of me however didn't look like it were the inside of a building. 

     'Sakura' someone said to me. I turned around. It...it was Meiling.

     'Sakura...' someone else said to me, as I turned the other way. It was Syaoran.

          ...it couldn't be the real one though...

      'Syaoran?' I asked him, as he reached for my hand. 

       I hald his hand, as he held mine, but he...didn't seem to let go. His grip...was nearly inhuman.

       Then, I felt something hit by back as I collapsed. I lifted my head, as Meiling kicked me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. Syaoran held my hand though, and smiled at me. 

       Meiling continued attacking me, as I lifted the sword to attack her. However, she merely kicked me again to make me drop my arm again. She seemed to know my every move. I couldn;t escape though....Syaoran continued to hold my hand...

        So, I picked up the sword and slashed at his arm to make him let go of me, as Meiling continued her assault. He didn't budge however, even as his blood dripped on the floor. I took another good swing at him, as my arm was free, but with his hand still latching onto mine. I tried to rip it off my hand, but it didn't even move.

        Meiling stood still, as her body glowed a greenish color. She looked at me, her eyes giving me a lifeless glare.

         'I am Vita Dos, gatekeeper of the Cosmos.' she said, as I held the Chronos Sword to my side. It was about time I saw another 'Vita' here...I hadn't seen one since I had gotten my first weapon.

         She lifted her arm, as a light blue ring of energy surrounded her body. I pointed my sword at her, the blade glowing a bright yellow. 

          'You dare to try and oppose the Cosmos, when it is you who shall falter to its power' Vita Dos said to me, as an expanding ring of blue energy raced to the areas surrounding her. I held out my sword and jumped over the ring, rushing in for an attack.

          Vita Dos reached out her arm, as it turned silver in color and mutated into a blade of some sort as well. using her blade, she deflected my attack, and went for a try of an attack. I tried to back away, as Vita Dos' eyes gave a deep aura of blue. It started to snow again, and I faced my sword towards her.

           The energy my sword gave off focused at the tip, and finally shot out towards Vita Dos.

           I could see a bright flash, but suddenly, Vita Dos jumped up and pinned me down. I screamed in pain, as she touched my arm, freezing it in place. I couldn't attack her with my sword any longer.

          Then, Vita Dos backed away and laughed at me. I was helpless once again...

          She prepared for a final attack, as I could feel something burning on my neck. Yumiko's Necklace...

          My frozen arm started to grown warm, as a small ball of fire appeared in my hands.

          _The hell....?_

_           The ice melted away, as I dropped the Chronos Sword. I pointed my hand at Vita Dos as a blaze of ascension burned around me. I lifted my hand, the fires growing hotter around me, and I could feel my eyes burning as well. A huge reddish cloud gathered over Vita Dos._

            'Damn you!' I yelled, as a huge pillar of fire shot down from the clouds and incinerated Vita Dos. She screamed, as the pillar disappeared. All that was left was a small flower in her place. I picked it up and sniffed it. It was a destined flower. 

            I put it in my pocket, alongside the decayed one I had picked up in Maidel. I picked up the Chronos Sword and walked forward, towards a door which I could tell would get me out of this room. 

            Outside the next door was a stairwell, which winded up alongside the wall of the circular tower which I stood in. I ran up the stairs quickly as I could, grabbing a torth from the wall..for it looked as if it were extremly dark above. 

             On the top of the stairs, as I thought...it was nearly completly dark. I could see light comming from the other side of the room, but it couldn't possibly be that easy to get across this room...something was up...

              ...so I ran though the room and to the other side easily. I guess I was wrong...

             Another winding staircase lay ahead of me, and I held onto the railing while running. As I ran up, however, I started to wonder what had even led me into this tower. What had made me tell Yumiko to stay behind in Maidel...? What...what if she were to come across trouble...?

             I don't know. Still...is that an excuse..? 

             Theres no time to think like this now...Syaoran...he could be here...I can feel him here.....

             'Syaoran? Syaoran?' I called out, running through the door ahead of me. I stood within a huge domed room, one of which stars filled the ceiling. In the center was a small balcony, which was basically too high to get to. I could hear someone call out my name, and my attention immediatly focused upon a small glass box on the other side of the room. Taking no time, I rushed over to it and saw that Syaoran was trapped inside the box. 

            'Dammit!' I yelled, trying to break the glass with the sword. It didn't even crack...

            The stars on the ceiling soon started to move, as they gathered in the area above the small balcony. I stopped hitting the glass, as Syaoran seemed to fade away from inside the glass box...soon the box was empty...

            A small beam of light shot down, focused mainly upon the balcony. I covered my eyes, as I could see what had appeared in front of me...

                         _...Kenji..._

_            'I see you have made it to the top of this clever diversion...' Kenji seemed to declare, holding his thin gleaming white sword at his side. He gave out a small laugh, and pointed his sword towards me once again._

            'If it means to find your Syaoran, then it will mean that you will have to defeat me.' He said, holding his hand up. In his hand, a bright light shone, as the metal tiles of the floor rose and created a staircase. He slowly walked down, his robe sweeping the floor as he went. I stood there, waiting for a possible chance to strike...while knowing fully well that I didn't know the extent of his true capabilities...

           I held up my sword, willing to fight, as he laughed at me again. 

          'Do you simpley expect me to win you over by killing you? It is much easier to strike when one is vulnerable...' he gleamed.

          ...Yumiko...I had left her in Maidel...could Kenji be possibly...

          The room started to fade away, as I could see the walls slowly turning into glass. Kenji's balcony remained, as Kenji and I stood among the dancers of the Dome of Souls. How had we arrived here...?

          Naroays sat in his seat above the grand stairs, and Kenji slowly walked towards him. It seemed as if...Naroays didn't even notice that Kenji was there though...

          'Kenji! What are you doing?!' I cried, running towards him. Kenji pointed his hand at me,   as I couldn't move any longer...

           The music box inside my bag started to shake, as it ripped through the side of it. The music box slowly floated towards Kenji, where it landed in his hands. He smiled to me, and faced it towards Naroays...slowly opening the lid...

           ...and the music box began to play its usual tune...but...differently...as if it were playing the tune backwards. I struggled to move, but there was nothing I could do now...

           'Very much do I enjoy this moment, Angel.' Kenji snickered to me. Naroays soon faded away, leaving nothing more than a small feather in his place. The dancers froze in place, and seemed to refuse to dance. Slowly...one by one...each person left the dome, as the ground started to shake.

           'Come Angel' he ordered, as he walked through the door. I found myself forcefully moving towards the door as well, not able to do a thing. I closed my eyes, as I felt myself hit the ground...and feeling snow hit my cheeks.

           'Sakura!' someone yelled out, and I heard footsteps. I lifted my head to see Yumiko running to me. I was...in Maidel somehow...

           A strange bright light shone behind her though, as she stopped in place. I heard a whistle go off, as blood started to stain Yumiko's shirt. She gave out a short scream, as another spot of blood appeared. One after another...she gave off a small breath, as her body twisted around and hit the ground. Piercing her back, a handful of arrows reached into her. 

           'NOOO!' I screamed, running to her side. Her hands were cold, and starting to grow pale. II turned her around in my arms, but I felt no pulse at all. Her eyes were still open though, as if she were alive though...

           I put my hands over her eyes, closing them, and stood up. A figure stood in it and slowly walked towards me. I held out my sword, standing by Yumiko's body, furious. Yumiko was dead.....

          '...Damn you!' I yelled, as a wolf's head emerged from the blinding light. The light disappeared, as Naroays stood, crossbow in hand, surrounded by a strange green aura.

          He laughed an inhumane laugh. His very soul seemed drenched with a foul poison that wasn't easy to detect...

                   ...he wasn't himself anymore...

          'You think of who I used to be...and know that I am part of the Cosmos now...' he said in a devilish tone, his voice burning with the inflamation of his spirit. 'He is no more.'

          '...I don't give a shit...' I replied, my hands bloody from Yumiko's wounds. 'I don't give a shit about who you are, or what the hell you have been infested with, Naroays.' 

          I ran towards Naroays, him firing the small crossbow bolts at me. I clipped each shot with my sword, and ran in for the murderer.

         _Sakura, what are your dreams for the future?_

_         I swung, Naroays holding out his hand. Crossbow in his other hand, he attempted to grab and shoot me, but I backed away from him in time. _

        'Your eyes light like fire' he said to me, pulling out a sword. 'I like that...'

        _Sakura...usually when I cry, its good to have a shoulder to lean on..._

_         The sky seemed to go crazy in its own way. The sun and moon rotated, as day and night passed like seconds. I continued my frenzy, hitting whatever I could._

         'Your fire grows...continue...' he whispered in a schemish tone. 

         He was weakening me from the inside, my spirit was hurt...but still longed for revenge...for vengeance...

          'Why did you have to kill Yumiko?!?!' I screamed, unleashing my anger with the Chronos Sword. I held onto the grip in a manner that could've shattered the hilt, constantly swinging, misjudging hits and hitting anything in my sight. Naroays kept his distance, however, as each hit reached nothing more than air.

           _Don't leave me alone in Maidel, Sakura...let me come with you..._

_            Spinning the sword in my hand, I ran up to Naroays, striking his weapon as he blocked my attacks with ease. One after the other my attacks followed, each strike bringing a piece of my loss with it, furthur increasing my desire to kill him..._

                       ...kill the wolf...

            I swung my sword with even more power, the fire, as Naroays mentioned, burning in my eyes. It ripped through Naroay's sword, slicing through it and through his hand, which fell mercilessly to the ground. He stumbled and gave out a loud roar, laying his other arm on the ground. Blood spilled from his dismembered arm, staining the ground he lay on. He gave out pathetic moans, as I stood before him, making it seem as if she were kneeling to my presence.

            'Angel....' he mumbled, his eyes shut completly. '...Angel...its me again...its Naroays...' 

             He lifted his head, reaching out with his remaining hand. His eyes, however, flickered a greenish color. I could sense myself crying, as I lifted my sword and stabbed it deep into Naroays' back. I twisted the sword to ensure he was dead, and ripped it out of his wound. His hand slowly closed, his eyes faltering but still open. His entire body lay flat on the ground, as I kneeled down and waved my hand over his eyes, closing them for all eternity. 

             Yumiko still lay near me, as I ran over to her. I held her in my arms and shook her furiously, expecting her to smile and wake up....just as she always had. She couldn't be dead...could she...?

                        ...without Syaoran or Yumiko...

                               ...............................I'm..........truly..........all......

                       alone...

             'Yumiko! Wake up!' I cried, crying beyond my control and shaking Yumiko's cold body in my arms. Her head leaned back, her eyes closed. her hair reaching straight down, almost reaching the ground.

              Still...she was truly dead now...

              I stood up, still holding her, and walked out of the city and into the snowy wasteland. My feet dug deep into the snow with  every step, and my toes felt as if they could move no longer. I walked on, however, Yumiko's body slowly turning a pale whitish color. 

              I had finally arrived at the bus stop, snow making my hair seem white in the bus stop windows. I stepped inside, laying Yumiko on the bench. I stood by her, and reached into my pocket. I took out the destined flower, the one I  had only gotten recently...and gently placed it on top of Yumiko. I then turned my back, not taking a single glance at the bus stop again, and walked back to Maidel.

_              'Is there something wrong?' _

_              'No...just a feeling' _

_              'We usually all feel that way, Yumiko'_

_              'Thank you stranger, I very much doubt that you aren't an angel impersonified.' _

    _~to be continued_


	12. Chapter Twelve - Where Do We Go From Her...

   ---

**Chapter Twelve - Where To Go From Here**

   ---__

_    Total loss only comes_

_    After when you realize_

_    The things you could have done_

   ---

         Since Yumiko and Naroay's deaths...the sky has grown to become darker, the ground become less fruitiful, the feelings that once existed now lay dead.

         ...thus was the world after they died. I could understand why...Naroays was dead...once a part of Syaoran a part of the Cosmos now...

              ...and Yumiko...gone...

        The snow fell almost every moment of my passing search. The sky, cloudy, for which the snow could fall. I felt cold most definitly, causing me great pain in my wrists. 

        I've been stuck in this snowy wasteland for almost a week since Yumiko and Naroays both disappeared.

        Kenji...his laugh seems to echo in this realm. Behind me, where the Dome of Souls lay, was where Kenji's laughs were eminating from. Still...something made me want to enter that dome...as if I sickly desired to go there, unknown to me, but a feeling...a strange feeling of that place suddenly. 

        A path lay ahead of me, one that wound through the wintery wasteland like such of a serpent at the bottom of a pot, a winding path with seemingly no end in sight.

        ...and since then, I've followed the path, beaten and bitterly cold, I've pressed on. The wintery breezes pounding at my head, the only thing to keep me warm, Yumiko's old thick jacket. From the distance, however, a bright light shone, which I could only hope was a door to get me out of this damned region.

                 ...stepping...closer...and...closer....I could....only...realize...

            ...that it was a door...

              I ran towards it with all my possible strength, but fell over onto my hands in the process. Screaming, for the snow was cold, I stood back up and ran as fast as I could towards the door. In my haste, I ripped open the door, and fell through the portal it held within its hinges.

              '...Kinomoto Sakura...' I heard from the distance. I turned my head, to see Yumiko and Naroays, standing one by the other, holding hands. I took a breath, and walked over to them.

                           ..._they're supposed to be dead..._

              'Yumiko!' I yelled out, as she held out her hand for me to hold. I reached for it, but...my hand...

                                                    ..._passed straight through it..._

_              'Yumiko...Naroays...are you two even alive...? Or am I seeing things?' I asked them, walking towards the two of them. Their bodies seemed to fade slightly, as if they were being blown away from me._

              Naroays looked at Yumiko, and then at me. 'She is as much alive...as _you are.'_

              'What is that to mean?' I asked him, whom gave me a look back that gave me the feeling that it was something I should have gotten immediatly.

              Naroays took out a small one-sided blade, and it reflected the light off, shining into my eyes. He parted his hair, and started to cut the top of his forehead. A cut appeared, but no blood came out. He gave out a loud growl, as the cut started to shine a bright white. The wolf's head slowly disappeared, showing nothing more than...

                             ...Syaoran...?

               ...Yes...It was Syaoran. He stood there, as the wolf's head fell to the ground. I ran over to hug him, but he held me back.

               'I am not the Syaoran you know. My name is _Naroays. ' he spoke to me. I nodded, and looked towards Yumiko. _

               'You must know who I am as well then, I'm you...' She said, as if she knew just what I was going to ask. It was near obvious though.

               'Wait....How can you be me...if you are a part of Syaoran...? You don't even look anything like me at all...Naroays looks just like Syaoran.' I said back to her, thinking hard about what I had just heard.

               Yumiko smiled at me, and replied back to me, ' Sakura...I'm only what Li sees of you in his mind. I am not completly you, as Syaoran is. I'm a representation of you within Syaoran.' 

               'Wait' I started. 'Are you telling me...that...you both are the projections of me and Syaoran in his mind...which is being torn apart  by the Cosmos?'

               Both nodded in unison, as I finally understood. 

               'Yumiko...Naroays...' I asked them, my final question. 'Why did Syaoran get attacked? Why did it have to be Syaoran...?'

               Naroays walked over to me, and held out his hand. Within it, the music box appeared. 

               'This music box, this _is the Cosmos.' he answered in a calm tone. 'You may have noticed it, but this music box had merely just appeared next to Syaoran before you had arrived here.'_

               Yumiko then started to answer my question. 'Sakura, you may know that Kenji has possession of the music box right now.'

                I nodded and looked at her, knowing she had something to say. 

                Yumiko smiled at me, taking the music box from Naroays. 'You should know that this isn't the real music box, Sakura.' She giggled, but I didn't laugh back.

                'I'm sorry' she apologized. 'I can't help but try to lift such a dreary moment.'

                'Anyways, Kenji is using the musix box to swallow up Syaoran's soul very very slowly, but effectively. As we have already been trapped, we cannot oppose or fight it at all.'

                Naroays then began to speak. 'Angel, you are the only person that can possibly stand a chance against Kenji. It doesn't matter how you do it, but kenji hides what you have come here for.'

                '...Syaoran...?' I asked, hoping to be right for once.

                Naroays nodded as I smiled. 'Then I guess I have to find Kenji, for both our sakes.'

                'You make it sound like you're doing us a favor...' Naroays said, hiding a small grin behind his cheeks. I smiled at him, and cooly replied. 'Maybe I am'

                Another door appeared, as I looked behind my shoulder to it. I would have to guess that that was my queue to leave. I waved to naroays and Yumiko, but Yumiko suddenly ran over to me.

                'We're not going to see eachother again.' she said to me. Her figure seemed to fade away along with Naroays. 'I don't have much time...'

                 She tried to run over to me to try and hug me, but instead passed through me. She stood in place and turned around. I could see tears within her eyes. 

                 'Sakura...I wish we could hold eachother like friends again, but I guess that that is all but impossible now...' she said to me, her voice trying to hide away the sorrow that flourished within her heart. She gave me a fake smile, water seeping from her eyelids. 

                 'Sakura...I've always been afraid to die. I try to resist it, but I can see myself slowly fading away before you.' she spoke to me, her image flickering away with every word.

                 '...please, Sakura, defeat Kenji...get Syaoran back...just don't let me die in vain...' 

                 Her image nothing more than a shadow, she gave out her final sentence. '...don't let it be your loss as well...'

                 I looked at her, as she gave out a silent sigh and fell down to the ground. With a single flash of light, she and naroays were both gone. Where Yumiko once was, a small destined flower lay, but instead ... a golen hue, a beautiful golden hue. 

                Picking it up, I put it into my bag, as it shone with a bright echo. Boldly, I turned the knob of the door, opening it and stepping through.

                _I won't die in vain...I can't die in vain..._

                ~to be continued


End file.
